Refrigerator car



June 11, 1963 J. LAMONT REFRIGERATOR CAR 4 Speets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct. 27,1960 IN l/E N TOR 5 m T m m n W L/ N. w, v 4

4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed 001.- 27, 1960 INVENTOR JOHN LAMONT O 0 I! C 5 ax J m B June 11, 1963 J. LAMONT 3,092,979

REFRIGERATOR CAR Filed Oct. 27, 1960 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 0 5! 3/ 52 L in Tl, i w

0 INVENTDR JOHN LAMONT June 11, 1963 J. LAMONT REFRIGERATOR CAR 4Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed 001',- 27, 1960 INVENTOR Joan LnmoNT rather seriousdisadvantages.

anemia Patented .lnrze 11, 1963 This invention relates to refrigeratorcars used in railway service to carry perishable goods.

Refrigerator cars at present most commonly in use are of either theoverhead ice tank or end bunker type heated in winter by either charcoalor alcohol burning heaters.

A mixture of ice and salt is used in the tank to produce refrigeration.The use of such a mixture has some Thus, for example, it is necessary toswitch out the refrigerator cars from the trains at the main terminalsfor icing; this requires extra switching, and manhandling and alsoresults in delays. Furthermore the corrosion caused by the ice and saidmixtures results in repairs of the order of 35-50% of the initial costof the car approximately every seven years. In addition, the servicingcosts for both ice and charcoal, although difiicult to assess precisely,are undoubtedly high.

In order to overcome the above disadvantages of ice tank type cars,manufacturers have resorted to the use of mechanical refrigerationsystems. One such system, for instance, would have the ice tanks of thecar replaced by a mechanical refrigeration unit located in one end ofthe car. For new cars, the refrigeration unit would similarly be placedat one end of the car. Such systems have the serious drawback that thefirst costs are very high, both in the conversion of existing cars andin the case of new cars. Particularly where conversion takes place thecost is excessive since substantial structural changes are required andthe installation procedure is laborious.

Another disadvantage is that quick repair by unit substitution is notpractical as some of the system components are integral with the carstructure and not easily removed.

In addition, most systems of the above type take about feet off the endsof the car with a consequent reduction in volume and floor area.

Furthermore the various components, being located at the ends of thecar, are in a zone of maximum shock, and since they are secured todiflerent structural members of the car, such as the end walls, floorand roof, they are subject to vibrations of varying frequency andamplitude which impose severe strains on the connection piping resultingin failures due to leakage.

It is the object of this invention to provide a refrigeration systemwhich fully overcomes the disadvantages of the above conventionalmechanical refrigeration systems for railway cars.

The system in accordance with the invention is essentially characterizedin that the refrigeration unit is mounted in the door of the car,provision being made for circulation of air through the door and throughthe car, preferably through a plenum which surrounds the loading spaceinside the car. This arrangement is made possible by improvements in thedesign of refrigeration units, which can be made small enough to fitinside a modified railway refrigeration car door.

The invention is, of course, applicable to the construction of newrefrigerator cars, but one of its major advantages resides in the factthat when used for the conversion of existing tank type refrigeratorcars, it makes it possible to avoid any major structural changes, sothat the installation costs are reduced to a minimum. As a matter offact, it is not even necessary to remove the ice tanks since these donot in any way interfere either with the installation or with theoperation of the refrigeration unit. The total conversion cost is about/3 to /2 of the cost of mounting mechanical refrigeration units at theends of the car.

In accordance with the invention the power unit to supply energy to therefrigeration unit is mounted under the car, and the fans forcirculating the air are mounted in a plenum above the loading space. Noprovision need therefore, be made for a separate machinery compartment,and thus, there is no reduction of floor area or of cubic capacity.

All the components are readily accessible for on the spot servicing orunit replacement, whichever is more convenient in each case. Inparticular the refrigeration unit may be removed by disconnecting thepower supply and removing the whole door, which can readily be replacedby a spare door with a refrigeration unit mounted therein. The powerunit and the fan are also easily accessible or replaceable.

In addition the novel system is tar more reliable than end mounted unitsbecause the refrigeration components are located in the centre of thecar, that is in a zone of minimum shock, and in addition they are allcontained in a unit frame, namely the door, and therefore, they are notsubject to varying vibrations.

A further advantage is the improved distribution of the cold air whichresults from placing the refrigeration unit and the fan at the centre ofthe car instead of at the ends.

Preferred embodiments of the invention are illustrated by way of examplein the accompanying drawings, in which:

H6. 1 is a fragmentary perspective view, partly broken away, of arailway car fitted with a door mounted refrigeration unit in accordancewith the invention.

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary transversevertioal section of the car shown inFIG. 1 with the sectional plane passing through, but not in the centreof the door.

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary transverse vertical section in which thesectional plane does not pass through the door.

FIG. 4 is a transverse vertical section through the door.

FIG. 5 is a front view of the door partly broken away.

PEG. 6 is a perspective view of one embodiment of the sill.

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary side elevation of a car showing diagrammaticallythe electrical connections between the power unit and the refrigerationunit and fans.

FIG. 8 is a transverse vertical section through a door in accordancewith a modified embodiment of the invention FIG. 9 is a fragmentarytransverse vertical section of a car having doors on opposite sides withrefrigeration units mounted in both doors.

1G. 10 is a view showing a modification of the bafiie system of FIG. 9.

Referring to FIGS. 1 to 6, the invention is illustrated as applied to arefrigerator car having double outer walls 716, roof 11 and floor 12,with a layer 13 of insulation contained therein. FIGS. 2 and 3 show thelocation of the ice tanks 14- of certain conventional cars, which, forthe purposes of the present invention, may be left in place. The tanksare disposed in a plenum formed by a ceiling 15, above the loading space16 and at one or both ends of the car. The plenum is continued at thesides by inner walls 18 spaced from the double outer walls 16, and atthe floor of the car by a loading platform 19. As shown in FIG. 3 theceiling which formerly had an elongated slot at the centre, is suitablyblocked oil by means of IE), panel 2%. The hatch 21 for icing is nolonger needed with the present arrangement and may be sealed onpermanently.

The door 22 (FIG. 5) is mounted for sliding movemerit by means ofrollers 23 at the bottom, pivotally secured to links 24 in turn rigidlysecured to hinge rods 25 which may be turned by a screw 26 through theintermediary of arms 28. The rollers 23 ride on a bottom rail 29, whileat the top, the door is guided in a top rail 36 by means of horizontalguide rollers 31 journalle-d on links 32 connected to the upper ends ofrods 25. This arrangement, which is well known, being used on existingrefrigerator car doors, operates in such a way that the door may befitted tightly in place by turning rods 25 so that links 24 land 32 areturned towards the car. if the rods are turned the opposite way byacting on screw 26, the door will move outwardly enough to clear theouter wall of the car, and it may then be slid along the rails 29 and30.

The refrigeration system according to the invention comprises threeseparate units, namely; a refrigeration unit, an air circulating system,and a power unit.

The refrigeration unit (FIGS. 4 and 5) is mounted entirely inside thedoor 22; it comprises a compressor 35, a liquid receiver 36, a condensercoil 37, a fan 38 and an evaporator coil 39. These elements areconnected by appropriate piping 4t} and operate in a conventionalmanner. In order to receive the elements of the refrigeration unit thedoor 22 which is flush on the inside with inner wall 18, projectsslightly outwardly at 42 to an extent which yet allows the car to clearother cars on an adjacent track. All the elements except the evaporatorcoil are contained in a central compartment 43 which is insulatedtowards the inside of the car and from the rest of the door, and whichcommunicates with the outside through a screen 44.

Circulation of the air through the plenum (FIGS. 1 and 2) is effected bya pair of fans 46 which are disposed at the centre of the car, as is thedoor 22. The fans 46 are arranged to direct the air towards oppositeends of the car; they communicate with the door through a duct 47, whichforms part of the plenum.

To allow passage of the air from the inside of the door to the duct 47the door (FIG. 2) has at its top edge an opening 49 communicating withthe duct 47. A similar opening 5% communicating with the plenum underthe loading platform 19 is provided at the bottom edge of the door tocirculate the air. The opening 50 registers with a sill 51 which may beformed by a plurality of upright transverse plates 52 (FIG. 6) securedto an extension 53 of the floor 12, the remaining portion of the sillbeing formed by an extension 51 of the outer wall 10. The plates 52 formpassages which open at the top and on the inside, to place the dooropening 50 in communication with the plenum, and at the same time theybridge the gap between the extension 51 and the loading platform 19. a

The power unit is diagrammatically shown at 57 in FIGS. 1 and 7, and ismounted under the car. The unit 57 may include a diesel drivenalternator and auxiliaries such as a fuel tank, battery and rectifierfor battery charging; these elements are conventional and no detailsthereof are deemed necessary in the drawing. The unit 57 is connected bypiped wiring 58 to a terminal box 59. Piped wiring 61, extending insidethe car, connects the terminal box 59 to motor 62 which drives the fans46. Piped wiring s3 extends on the outside of the car from the terminalbox 59 to an outlet box 64, and from this outlet box a flexible wire 65is plugged at 66 to the door 22. The plug 56 has connections (not shown)to the compressor and condenser motors. When the door is opened bysliding it towards the right (FIG. 7) the flexible wire 65 permits thesame without disconnecting the power supply to the door. If the door hasto be removed, the power unit 57 is disconnected from the refrigerationunit in the door at plug 66.

Certain modifications of the basic arrangement are shown in FIGS. 8, 9and 10.

FIG. 8 shows a door 22" which is constructed so that it is flush on theoutside with the outside wall of the car, while it projects on theinside into the loading space. Otherwise, the door 22", and therefrigeration unit mounted therein, are identical to the door 22; thecorresponding elements being indicated by the same numerals with primenotation.

In FIG. 9 there are provided two doors 22, one on opposite sides of thecar, each being fitted with a refrigeration unit. Duct 47 extends acrossthe car so as to communicate with both doors. With this arnangement apair of flaps 69 are provided at the two ends of the duct. The flaps maybe locked in the closed and preferably also in the open position by anysuitable means (not shown), so as to close ed the ducts of either door,for servicing or replacement of same, while the refrigeration unit ofthe other door continues to openate. This also permits conversion eitherto a one or two-door runit.

FIG. 10 shows an arrangement similar to FIG. 9, but in which the flaps60 are replaced by vertical cut-oil panels 7t attached to angles 71 oneither side of the fans 46. In this embodiment the duct 47 is formed bytwo lateral panels 72 secured to angles 73, and by a central panel 74bridging the angles 73 and supported thereon by pins '75. The figureshows one of the cut-off panels 70 in place; the panel 71 may be removedafter removing the central panel 74.

What I claim is:

1. A rail car having a pair of centrally located opposite side doors; aceiling, side walls and a platform defining a loading space and defininga plenum surrounding said loading space; a pair of tans mounted in saidplenum above said loading space at the centre of said car and havingtheir exhausts opening into said plenum portion above said ceiling anddirected towards the opposite ends of the car; a duct extending acrosssaid car at the centre above said doors and communicating with theintakes of said fans; each door having [a passageway therethrough withan opening at its top edge communicating with said duct and an openingat its bottom edge communicating with the portion of the said plenumbelow said platform; and a mechanical refrigeration unit mounted in saiddoor to cool air in said passageway.

2. A rail car having a side door; a ceiling, side Walls and platformdefining a loading space and defining a plenum surrounding said loadingspace; a tan mounted in said plenum above said loading space and havingan exhaust opening into said plenum portion above said ceiling; a ductcommunicating with the intake of said fan and extending to the side ofsaid car above said door, said door having an opening at its top edgecommunicating with said duct and an opening at its bottom edgecommunicating with the portions of said plenum below said platform, asill registering with said bottom door edge opening, said sill beingformed with a plurality of upright transverse plates which form passagesopening at the top and inner side to place said bottom door edge openingin communication with said plenum below said loading space, and $21mechanical refrigeration unit mounted in said door.

3. A rail car having a pair of opposite side doors; a ceiling, sideWalls and a platform defining a loading space and defining a plenumsun-sanding said loading space; a fan mounted in said plenum above saidloading space; a duct extending to both sides of said car above saiddoors and communicating with the intake of said fan; each door having anopening at its top edge communicating with said duct and an opening atits bottom edge communieating with the portion of said plenum below saidplatform, said fan having its exhaust opening into said plenum portionabove said ceiling; openable closure means in said duct on both sides ofsaid flan, and a mechanical refrigeration unit mounted in said door.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTSCalatroni Jan. 14, Bonsall Nov. 15, Melcher Dec. 26, Bonsall Mar. 7,Cone Dec. 20,

3. A RAIL CAR HAVING A PAIR OF OPPOSITE SIDE DOORS; A CEILING, SIDEWALLS AND A PLATFORM DEFINING A LOADING SPACE AND DEFINING A PLENUMSURROUNDING SAID LOADING SPACE; A FAN MOUNTED IN SAID PLENUM ABOVE SAIDLOADING SPACE; A DUCT EXTENDING TO BOTH SIDES OF SAID CAR ABOVE SAIDDOORS AND COMMUNICATING WITH THE INTAKE OF SAID FAN; EACH DOOR HAVING ANOPENING AT ITS TOP EDGE COMMUNICATING WITH SAID DUCT AND AN OPENING ATITS BOTTOM EDGE COMMUNICATING WITH THE PORTION OF SAID PLENUM BELOW SAIDPLATFORM, SAID FAN HAVING ITS EXHAUST OPENING INTO SAID PLENUM PORTIONABOVE SAID CEILING; OPENABLE CLOSURE MEANS IN SAID DUCT ON BOTH SIDES OFSAID FAN, AND A MECHANICAL REFRIGERATION UNIT MOUNTED IN SAID DOOR.